Basic rules of the Game

The game is played with an official IWRF game ball on a hardwood basketball court marked with sidelines, baselines, a mid-court line, a centre circle and two key (goal) areas

The object of the game is to carry the ball over the opposing team’s goal line to score a point

For a goal to count, at least two wheels of the wheelchair must cross the goal line, and the player must have firm control of the ball when he or she crosses the goal line

Each team is allowed to have up to 12 players, but only 4 are allowed on the court at one time

All players are assigned one of seven numerical sport classes, which is a measure of their functional ability. This number ranges from 0.5 (the least function) to 3.5 (the highest level of function), and is calculated in 0.5 increments.

The total value of the sport classes on court for each team must not exceed 8.0 points. Teams are allowed an extra 0.5 points for each female player they have on the court

The game is played in four 8-minute quarters; there is a 2-minute break at the end of the first and third quarters, and a 5-minute break at the half

On each possession of the ball, teams have 40 seconds to score a goal, unless there is less time than this left on the game clock

After a goal has been scored, or after any stoppage in play, the player has 10 seconds to inbound the ball

The team that inbounds the ball in its own end has 12 seconds to advance the ball over the mid-court line

No player on the team in control of the ball may remain in the opposing team’s key area for more than 10 seconds

The player in possession of the ball must dribble or pass the ball at least once every 10 seconds

The defending team must have no more than three players in their key area while defending it

Wheelchair Rugby is a contact sport in which chair to chair contact is permitted, but physical body contact between players is not allowed. However, players may not strike another player’s wheelchair anywhere behind the axle of the rear wheel in such a way as to cause the chair to rotate horizontally or vertically

In regulation play, each team is allowed four 30-second time-outs which may be called by players on the floor, and two 1-minute time-outs that can be called from the bench

In the event of a tie after regulation play, an overtime period of 3 minutes is played. If the game is still tied, additional overtime periods are played until one team is declared the winner

There is a two-minute break between overtime periods, and each team is awarded one additional 30-second timeout for each overtime period played